Tom Rooney Takes Aim at Bill Nelson Over Neil Gorsuch

As he considers taking on U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., in 2018, on Monday, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., took aim at that Democrat’s opposition to President Donald Trump nominating Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Today, Florida Senator Bill Nelson stated that he will vote no on Judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation,” Rooney said. “I am extremely disappointed, though utterly unsurprised, that Senator Nelson would put political posturing above the needs of the American people. Ten years ago, not a single Democratic Senator opposed Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, including Senator Nelson. Nelson has not provided any substantive concerns or misgivings as to why he supported Gorsuch in the past but will not vote to confirm now.”

Rooney ramped up his criticism of Nelson and urged Florida voters to stand against him in 2018 when he can run for a fourth term.

“Nelson is hypocritically putting his own wants and needs above objectively considering a judge who has shown nothing but full capability to serve on the Supreme Court,” Rooney said. “He should be ashamed of himself and I hope Florida voters replace him next year in the 2018 election. Unfortunately because of the actions of Senators like Bill Nelson who are threatening a filibuster for a capable jurist, Republicans may be forced to exercise the nuclear option.”

With Trump carrying Florida in November, Nelson is a top Republican target in 2018. Rooney has garnered buzz as a possible Senate candidate but Gov. Rick Scott is also considered a likely contender for the Republican nomination.

Last week, St. Leo University released a poll showing Scott with a clear lead with Florida Republicans. Scott takes 45 percent of Florida Republicans while a quarter of them--26 percent--are undecided. Rooney pulls 10 percent while 7 percent back U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis who briefly ran for the Senate last year before U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio decided to run for another term. Two other Republicans who pulled out of the Senate race when Rubio announced he would run again were also included in the poll. Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who was unseated in November by former Gov. Charlie Crist, takes 5 percent while Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera gets 1 percent. Seven percent of Florida Republicans are for other candidates.

Frank Orlando, the director of the Saint Leo University Polling Institute, said Scott was in good shape to win the Republican nomination.

“Rick Scott starts off as the strong favorite to win the GOP nomination but it’s important to remember that Charlie Crist was once considered a shoe-in for the Republican nod in 2010,” Orlando said.

“Scott’s lead right now relies mainly on a name ID advantage, but the better the state is doing the better position he’ll be in,” Orlando continued.

Once again Senator Nelson's vote on a key Florida issue has great disappointment. First, his key swing vote on Obama care, the only Floridians happy with the vote were the AARP Officers, who struck a good deal for themselves, and those without a healthcare option who felt fine about everyone else paying for their healthcare. Now a vote promised for the Democrats against a very fine Supreme Court candidate in Neil Gorsuch.
Senator Nelson MUST go this time around. He is a big part of partisan politics in Washington adding up "nothing being done" for we the people. Florida Citizens must stand united on voting against Senator Nelson this time around. He's maintained an opposing view of many mainstream legislative attempts, many of which were good for moderate Floridians and middle America. Why do so many people just accept the fact our lives are, at least in some part, controlled by the minority viewpoint?

hoorah....tom rooney.....send Nelson to the ole folks home in Democrat Drained Swamp.....Don't let up on Nelson...he is Disgrace of us Space shuttle workers on his Backing Obama destroying Shuttle program......And played Years before Obama I'm a Astronaut on Shuttle....Just for a SELF CENTERED SELF he is to get Re-Elected.....Then turned Tail with Obama & lied...and even came with Obama on Campaign WE Going To Keep Space Shuttle Program going....ha....B.S......VeteransR4 Gov.Scott

Can you say term limits. The amount of time he's been in office is the reason nothing ever changed. FYI. We don't need formal terms limits. Just VOTE HIM OUT!!! Tom Rooney would be an excellent replacement.

I'm so grateful for this on-line News outlet - sunshinestatenews.com . I'm stuck here in Broward County with the Sun Sentinel's blatantly biased news and I use the term "news" very loosely. We are stuck in a sea of democratic cartel members holding our local governments and only local newspaper hostage. My husband and I escaped to Deerfield Beach, Florida from California two years ago. We went through a local election here, never knowing there were any Republicans running for office. Governor Scott is never mentioned in our local newspaper unless it is a negative report. Gov. Scott is a big reason we moved back to Florida because he is doing all the right things to keep Florida the great state it is. He is a good choice for the Senate race. Nelson needs to retire. Everyone should support our President who has the opportunity to do very good things for Florida. We do not want local obstructionists who will prevent our State from Trump Agenda benefits we can use in education, environmental issues unique to Florida, jobs, jobs, jobs, health care, etc. Mr. Trump is partial to Florida and considers it his second home. It doesn't get better than that. The Sun Sentinel reports almost daily the whiners in Palm Beach, carrying on about the "cost" of security because Mr. Trump comes to town so often. No mention of the increase in income small and large businesses enjoy while all the press and secret service personnel are also in town. Liberals and Conservatives alike need to stop reading biased news. The media is keeping us all from compromising to come together for the betterment of this nation. I didn't elect the media to run my life. It is time we cancel our subscriptions to these biased outlets. It is a great time for a fair and balanced newspaper entrepreneur to start up a new newspaper in South Florida - PLEASE!!!

Senator Nelson is showing that he cannot think for himself. If he could he would see that judge Gorsuch is one of the best persons ever nominated for the Supreme Court Of The United States. His stand on Judge Gorsuch should show that he should not be in the senate.

One more "GOP" Tea Party clone wanting a place at the trough. More of the mindless, amoral, dystopian detruction that has in the last 50 days removed the referee from the national political game of life and death, and loaded the dice against pragmatic problem solving and civil society.